from PHYLLIS BIRORI in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda Bureau
KIGALI, (CAJ News) – KASPERSKY has opened its first Transparency Centre in the continent, as part of the Africa Cyber Defense Forum (ACDF).
The centre located in Kigali, Rwanda, is also opening as part of Kaspersky’s Global Transparency Initiative.
The initiative is established to highlight the reliability of the company’s solutions and advocate for greater transparency throughout the cyber security industry.
The new centre offers its visitors a comprehensive overview of Kaspersky’s engineering and data processing practices, and a live demonstration of the source code for its products and services.
It is available for Kaspersky’s partners, customers and regulators responsible for cyber security.
Kaspersky said underscoring the strong nexus between transparency and the fight against cyber crime, and Kaspersky’s commitment to both causes, the new Transparency Centre opening was welcomed by the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL).
“The African region is currently undergoing rapid digital transformation, with Internet penetration continually growing year on year,” AFRIPOL’s Acting Executive Director, Ambassador Jalel Chelba, commented.
The envoy said to counter potential security risks stemming from the use of technology, it is imperative to understand what forms an effective framework to mitigate risks.
With the opening of the facility in the region, Kaspersky will expand its network to encompass a total of 11 Transparency Centre located across the globe.
Genie Sugene Gan, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said a growing emphasis on cyber security within the pan-regional African agenda is piquing the interest of national authorities.
However, there remains a significant gap in cyber-capacity building.
“The Transparency Centre opening marks a pivotal advancement and a significant milestone for both our organisation and the region, as we bring essential capacity-building capabilities and best cybersecurity practices to the region,” Gan said.
– CAJ News